By Andrew Hay
(Reuters) – A woman who died after being set on fire on a New York subway earlier this month has been identified as Debrina Kawam, 57, of Toms River, New Jersey, the New York medical examiner’s office said on Tuesday.
Kawam was identified through fingerprint analysis, and her death from thermal and inhalation injuries has been ruled a homicide, said Julie Bolcer, a spokeswoman for the Chief’s Office. Medical (TASE:) Questioner.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Kawam “had a brief stay in our homeless shelter system,” without providing further details.
Sebastian Zapeta, a 33-year-old Guatemalan national, was charged with murder and arson after he allegedly set Kawam on fire and watched him burn to death in a subway station.
Zapeta was arrested about six hours after police said he used a lighter to set fire to the clothes of Kawama, who appeared to be dozing on the F train at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station in Brooklyn.
The suspect entered the US illegally in 2018 and was deported to Guatemala a few days later. It is unclear when he illegally re-entered, the US Department of Homeland Security said.
There appeared to be no prior interaction between the gunman, a Brooklyn man, and Kawamo, police said.
The Department of Homeland Security said it will restart removal proceedings whenever Zapeta is released from custody in New York, which could include a lengthy prison sentence if convicted.
